Assumption (Ch 1) - Answers A principle that is accepted as being true based on logic or reason,
without proof.
Cause-probing research (Ch 1) - Answers Research designed to illuminate the underlying causes
of phenomena.
Clinical nursing research (Ch 1) - Answers Research designed to generate knowledge to guide
health care practice.
Constructivist paradigm (Ch 1) - Answers An alternative paradigm (aka naturalistic paradigm) to
the positivist paradigm that holds that there are multiple interpretations of reality, and that the
goal of research is to understand context; associated with qualitative research
Empirical evidence (Ch 1) - Answers Evidence rooted in objective reality and gathered using
one's senses as the basis for generating knowledge.
Evidence-based practice (Ch 1) - Answers Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a practice that
involves making clinical decisions on the best available evidence, with an emphasis on evidence
from disciplined research.
Generalizability (Ch 1) - Answers The degree to which the research methods justify the
inference that the findings are true for a broader group than study participants; in particular, the
inference that the findings can be generalized from the sample to the population.
Paradigm ((Ch 1) - Answers A way of looking at natural phenomena that encompasses a set of
philosophical assumptions and that guides one's approach to inquiry.
Positivist paradigm (Ch 1) - Answers This paradigm underlies the traditional sicientific approach
assumiing that there is an orderly reality that can be objectively studied. This is often associated
with quantitative research.
Qualitative research - Answers The investigation of phenomena, typically in an in-depth and
holistic fashion, through the collection of rich narrative materials using a flexible research
design.
Quantitative research (Ch 1) - Answers The investigation of phenomena that lend themselves to
precise measurement and quantification, often involviing a rigorous and controlled design.
Research methods (Ch 1) - Answers The techniques used to structure a study and to gather and
analyze information in a systematic fashion.
Scientific method (Ch 1) - Answers A set of orderly, systematic, controlled procedures for
acquiring dependable, empirical--and typically quantitative--information; the methodologic
, approach is associated with the positivist paradigm.
Systematic review (Ch 1) - Answers A rigorous synthesis of research findings on a particular
research question, using systematic sampling and data collection procedures and a formal
protocol.
Clinical practice guideline (Ch 2) - Answers Practice guidelines that are evidence based,
combining a synthesis and appraisal of research evidence with specific recommendations for
clinical decisions.
Cochrane Collaboration (Ch 2) - Answers An international organization that aims to facilitate
well-informed decisions about health care by preparing and disseminating systematic reviews
of the effects of health care interventions.
Evidence hierarchy (Ch 2) - Answers A ranked arrangement of the validity and dependability of
evidence based on the rigor of the method that produced it; the traditional evidence hierarchy is
appropriate primarily for cause-probing research, especially Therapy questions.
Evidence-based practice [EBP] (Ch 2) - Answers A practice that involves making clinical
decisions on the best available evidence, with an emphasis on evidence from disciplined
research.
Implementation potential (Ch 2) - Answers The extent to which an innovation is amenable to
implementation in a new setting, an assessment of which is often made in an evidence-based
practice project.
Meta-analysis (Ch 2) - Answers A technique for quantitatively integrating the results of multiple
studies addressing the same or similar research question(s).
Meta-synthesis (Ch 2) - Answers The grand narratives or interpretive translations produced from
the integration or comparison of findings from qualitative studies.
Pilot test [aka study] (Ch 2) - Answers A small scale version, or trial run, done in preparation for
a major study or to assess feasibility.
Research utilization (Ch 2) - Answers The use of some aspect of a study in an application
unrelated to the original research.
Systematic review (Ch 2) - Answers A rigorous and systematic synthesis of research findings on
a research question.
Cause and effect (causal) relationship (Ch 3) - Answers A relationship between two variables
wherein the presence or value of one variable (the "cause") determines the presence or value of
the other (the "effect")
Clinical trial (Ch 3) - Answers A study designed to assess the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness